Electric switch



Filed March 19. 1932. 2 Sheets-Sheet l if [gig ffd 6]; 5 47 Q T 1 w fnv6n or- 62 fiZzrry/Z Dozgglczs June 5, 1934. H A D LA 1,961,846

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @AZQ ZZ Z! Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 19,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches more particularly for automotive vehicles and electrical circuits associated therewith.

Among other objects my invention aims to provide a simple and economical switch structure which may be operated by the reciprocation of a slidable handle with a snap action.

Another object is to provide a switch so operated which may have at least two operative po- 10 sitions in addition to its off position.

My invention will be explained more fully in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved switch with illustrative circuits diagrammatically associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a reverse side elevation of the structure of Figure 1 with one end of the switch casing removed;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 somewhat enlarged.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure is a perspective view of a preferred 25 form of combined contact and bridging member embodying my invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective of a preferred form of rotor embodying my invention.

In the illustrative construction, I have shown a metallic switch casing indicated generally at 1 and which may conveniently comprise two mating cup-shaped sections 2 and 3 which, in this instance, are shown somewhat V-shape. The sections 2 and 3 may be secured together as by 35 being provided with meeting flanges 4 and 5, one

of these flanges, in this instance, the flange 5 having ears 6 which are clinched over the flange 4.

Enclosed within the casing 1, I have shown a 40 contact carrying rotor '7 which, in this instance,

is metallic and comprises end portions 8 and 9 which bear against the walls of the casing sections 2 and 3, respectively. The end portion 8 has an axially extending hub portion 10 which is journaled in a flanged circular aperture 11 in the casing section 2 and the end portion 9 has a similar hub portion 12 which is journaled in the flanged circular aperture 13 in the casing section 3 and which is opposite the flanged circular 50 aperture 11. The end portions 8and'9 are shown connected by an integral axially extending portion 14 which, however, is desirably offset from the axis of rotation of the rotor '7. The portion 14 in this instance carries an insulating block 15 which is secured to the rotor as by having ears 1932, Serial No. 599,929 (01. 2o0 11) l6 struck out from the portion 14 and clinched over the block 15.

The block 15 may be provided with apertures therethrough, in this instance, the three apertures 17, 18 and 19 which register with similar apertures 20 in the rotor portion 14, but the latter being metallic, the registering apertures in the portion 14 are of larger diameter than the aprtures in the insulating block 15, so that metallic sleeves 21 carried by the insulating block 15 and riveted in the apertures 17, 18 and 19 will not contact with the metallic portion 14 of the rotor. The sleeves 21 are arranged in a plane extending along the axis of rotation of the rotor 7 and passing through said axis. The first and third sleeves 21 may have slidingly mounted therein tubular members 22, these members having a flared end 23 which limits the movement or" the tubular members 22 in the sleeves 21 in one direction and flanges 24 at their opposite ends between which and the clinched portions 25 of the sleeves 21 are located light coil springs 26 which press the tubular members 22 radially of the rotor 7.

As here shown I may provide a combined contact and bridging member 27 having a relatively long central post 28 which enters the middle sleeve 21 and relatively short lugs 29 which enter the tubes 22. The lugs 29 and post 28 are mechanically and electrically connected by the metallic bridge 30 which has two branches 31 which are integral with the two lugs 29 and a central branch 32 which terminates in a dome-shape portion 33 which is crimped over a similarly shaped head 34 on the post 28. The bridge 30 is offset from the head 34 of the post 28 toward the other end of the post and the branches 31 and 32 are thus oblique to the post. A coil spring 35 similar to the coil springs 26 and surrounding the post 28, together with the coil springs 26, presses the combined contact and bridging member 2'? radially of the rotor '7 in the sleeves 21, the dome 33 and the rounded surfaces 36 and 3'? where the oblique branches 31 engage the lugs 29 affording contacts insulated from the metallic rotor 7, but electrically connected by the bridge 30.

The complementary contacts are carried by the casing 1' through the intermediation of an arcuate insulating wall member 38 which is clamped between the casing sections 2 and 3 as by having flanges 39 of these sections received in corresponding grooves in the wall member 38. As best shown in Figure 3, complementary contacts 40, 41 and 42 are ar'cuately disposed in the wall member 38 to be flush therewith and are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor 7 and which passes through the contact 33 of the contact member 27. The contacts 40, 41 and 42 constitute the inner ends of metallic terminal members 43, 44 and 45, respectively, which pass through and are appropriately secured in the insulating wall member 38. The contacts 40, 41 and 42 are cup-shaped and receive with a snap action the spring pressed dome contact 33, thus positively locating the switch in its various operative positions. Another complementary contact 46 in the form of an arcuate metallic plate is also embedded in the inner surface of the insulating wall member 38 flush therewith and extending abreast of the contacts 40, 41 and 42. The plate contact 46 has a lateral extension 4'7 which is mechanically and electrically connected with the contact 42. The contact 42 is a continuation of the terminal 45 upon the exterior of the insulating wall member 38 and the latter is mechanically and electrically connected with one of the metallic brackets 48. The other metallic bracket 48 is mechanically and electrically connected with a metallic terminal member 49 also upon the exterior of the insulating wall member 38. These brackets may be secured to the terminal members and to the insulating wall member by having the terminal members pass there through and riveted thereover. To prevent rotation of the brackets 48 upon their respective terminal members they have an engagement at another place with the insulating wall member 38 as by the fingers 50 which are bent to enter a recess 51 in the wall member 38. Each of the brackets 48 is shown provided with means such as the spring clips 52 secured to the upper ends of the brackets 48 as by having ears 53 struck out of the brackets and clinched over the bases of the clips. These clips 52 desirably have their ends flared to radially receive therebetween a cylindrical fuse which, in accordance with conventional practice, may include a glass tube 54 with metal ends and enclosing a conventional fusible metal element. To form a socket for the cylindrical fuse tube arcuate portions 55 may be conveniently struck out of the sides of the clip 52 and bowed in reverse direction to the sides of the clip to form a somewhat cylindrical socket conforming to the contour of the fuse tube. The unstruck portions 56 of the clips are adapted to abut one end or the other of the fuse tube 54 and prevent longitudinal displacement thereof.

The terminal member 49 which is electrically connected with one of the brackets 48, in accord ance with illustrative circuits which I have shown diagrammatically may be connected by means of the insulated conductor 57 with one side of a source of current, such as the battery 58, the other side of which may be grounded.

When the rotor '7 is rotated within the casing 1, by means presently described, to have the dome contact 33 in engagement with the complementary contact 40 a circuit is established through the grounded battery 58, conductor 57, terminal 49, fuse tube 54, terminal 45, contact 42, plate contact 46, movable contact 36, current conducting bridge 30, dome contact 33, contact 40, terminal 43, insulated conductor 59, alternating switch 60 and through either the grounded filaments 61 of the head lamps 62 or through the grounded filaments 63 of these head lamps. The filaments 63, for example, may constitute the normal driving lights of the vehicle as by being located in the focus of the reflector of the head lamp 62 and the filaments 61 may constitute the intermediate driving lights as by being located slightly above the focus of the lamps. By means of the alternating switch 60, which may be constructed in accordance with the disclosure of my copending application Serial No. 563,669, filed October 14, 1931 to be controlled by the foot of the operator, either the fila ments 61 or the filaments 63 may be energized.

At the same time that the circuit I have just described is established, another circuit is established through the grounded battery 58, conductor 57, terminal 49, fuse tube 54, terminal 45, contact 42, plate contact 46, movable contact 36, current conducting bridge 30, movable contact 37, plate contact 64 (which is similar to the contact 46, but is upon opposite sides of the contacts 40 and 41) terminal 65 which is upon the exterior of the wall member 36 and is mechanically and electrically connected with the plate contact 64 as already described with respect to the plate contact 46, and through the insulated conductor 66 to the grounded rear lamp 67. Consequently in this position of the switch either the normal or intermediate driving lights of the vehicle will be in circuit and at the same time the rear light.

When the rotor '7 is rotated to have the dome contact 33 in engagement with the complementary contact 41 a circuit is established from the battery through the plate contact 46 as already described and the contact 36, bridge 30, dome contact 33, contact 41, terminal 44, insulated conductor 66 and through the grounded parking lights 69, the previous circuit through the head lamps 62 being discontinued. Since the plate 64, however, extends abreast of the corn tact 41, as well as the contact 40, the circuit through the rear lamp 67 is still maintained as already described.

When the rotor 7 is rotated to have the dome contact 33 in engagement with the contact 42, the switch is in olf position. Since the plate contact 64 does not extend abreast of the contact 42 and therefore the movable contact 36 merely engages the insulating wall member 38, there is no circuit established through the rear lamp 6'7. Similarly, since the movable contacts 33 and 3'7 engage the contacts 42 and 46, both of which are connected with the battery a circuit through any other contact is discontinued and neither the head lamp 62 nor the parking lamps 69 are in circuit.

In accordance with my invention, I provide means for rotating the rotor 7 which includes a crank and pitman connection. In the illustrative construction, the hub 12 of the rotor 7 may be axially extended to afford prongs 70 which are shown bent over a metallic crank disc 71 located upon the exterior of the casing 1. To prevent relative rotation of the rotor '7 and the disc '71 the prongs '70 may lodge in radial slots 72 opening into the central aperture 73. The crank disc '71 is shown extended to form an integral crank arm 74 which is desirably offset from the plane of the disc '71 away from the casing 1. Pivotally mounted at the outer end of the crank arm 74, I have shown a wrist pin 75 which is desirably hollow and which is provided with means for securing thereto a pitman which, in this instance, may conveniently take the form of a wire rod '76 which passes through the wrist pin 75 by means of suitable holes therein and is clamped thereto by a set screw 77 which is threaded into the hollow wrist pin '75 and presses upon the wire rod 76.

The casing 1 is desirably mounted upon a bracket 78 which may be suitably secured to the casing section 3, for example, and may intervene between the casing and the crank disc 71. The

bracket 78 is desirably elongated to project the casing 1 a substantial distance from a mounting such as the instrument panel '79 and the bracket may be firmly secured to the rear side of the instrument panel as by nutted screws 80 passing through the instrument panel and. a laterally turned flange portion 81 of the bracket 78, suitably staggered apertures 82 being conveniently provided in this flange portion for the passage of the screws 80. The flange portion '78 also may carry a bearing 83 for a reciprocable handle 84 forming an extension of the rod '76. The bearing 83 is conveniently formed with a flange portion 85 which abuts the outer face of the instrument panel 79 and the body of the bearing is threaded to receive a clamping nut 86 which clamps the bearing to the flange portion 81 of the bracket '78 and also to the instrument panel 79, this clamping nut also assisting in maintaining a secure engagement of the bracket and instrument panel. The flange 85 is conveniently axially extended as at 87 to provide an abutment for the hub portion 88 of a knob 89 suitably secured on the outer end of the handle 84. Thus when the knob 89 abuts the part 87 the switch is in one operative position in which the head lamps and rear lamps are energized. When the knob 89 is in outermost position, as shown in Figure 1, the switch is in off position. In an intermediate position of the knob 89, the circuit through the head lamps is discontinued and the parking lamps are energized as already explained.

To assist in limiting the arc of rotation of the rotor 7 between the contacts 40 and 42 inclusive, stops 90 may be struck out of the bracket 78 to be engaged by the crank arm 74.

The terminal members 43, 44, 49 and 65 may have conventional snap means such as the spring pressed detents 91 for snapping over the bulbous tips of conventional wire terminals, as is well known in the art.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to pre-- cise details of construction here shown for purposes of illustration. Furthermore, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly as various combinations and sub-combinations may be advantageously employed.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a switch, the combination with a casing having an arcuate wall; of a rotor having spaced apart hub portions journaled in the casing; an axially extending portion of the rotor connecting the hub portions and ofiset from the axis of the rotor; a crank arm secured to one of the hub formations upon the exterior of the casing; an insulating block carried by the rotor on the axially extending portion; a spring pressed contact carried by the block; three complementary cup-shaped contacts carried arcuately flush with the arcuate wall of the casing and receiving the spring pressed contact by a snap action.

2. In a switch, the combination with a casing; of a rotor having spaced apart hub portions journaled in the casing; an axially extending portion of the rotor connecting the hub portions and ofiset from the axis of the rotor; apertures in said axially extending portion; an insulating block carried by the axially extending portion; apertures in said block registering with the apertures in the axially extending portion of the rotor but of smaller diameter; a metallic bridge member having a leg slidable in one of the apertures and having lugs engaging members slidable in the other apertures, said bridge member being insulated from the rotor by the relative diameters of the apertures; and means for rotating the rotor.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

